Friend Zone
by cruiz107
Summary: Here's to the girls who grew up playing in dirt, who ran outside barefoot, and wasn't afraid to be one of the boys. FAGE 8 story written for Deonne.


**FAGE 8:Soul Mates**

 **Title: Friend Zone**

 **Written for:** **Deonne (I hope you enjoy it!)**

 **Written By: Cruiz107**

 **Rating: T**

 **Summary/Prompt used: "Here's to the girls who grew up playing in dirt, who ran outside barefoot, and wasn't afraid to be one of the boys."**

 **P.S. I'm not sure what happened when I uploaded the story originally, but I section of it repeated itself (it was not repeated in my final draft). I've reposted it again and hopefully there will be no repetition.**

"You traveled," Edward bellowed as the ball sunk beautifully into the basket.

"What?" I breathed out harshly, wiping the sweat out of my eyes. "That was a perfect lay-up."

"Yeah…because you traveled," he countered. I watched as he lifted he soaked t-shirt to dry his face.

"Are you mad at the perfection, or that I just made it a point game?" I joked.

"I'm not mad," he said as he snatched the ball from my hands. "For one thing, it may be point game, but you're not gonna win. Second, it may have been a _decent_ lay-up, but you couldn't do it without travelling."

"Cullen," I growled.

"Swan," he deadpanned.

I rolled my eyes. "Just play. I have an exam to study for."

"What the fuck was that?" I yelled at Emmett as the opposing team laughed and high-fived each other. "You basically handed them the touchdown."

"I thought I could run it."

"Run it?" I screeched. "I didn't pick you for your speed."

"Calm down, Swan," he laughed. "It's just a game. It's not even tackle – it's _flag_ football."

"Yeah, well you don't have laundry duty riding on this game and I fucking hate washing Edward's laundry."

As if knowing his name had just been uttered, Edward appeared from the far left.

"Swan, remember that I like my underwear folded and my jeans neatly hung," he informed me as he threw his arm around my shoulder.

"Screw you, Cullen. I hope _you_ remember that I like fabric softener when you're washing my thongs."

"Swan, maybe you should step off the mound and come a little closer," Edward shouted from home plate.

"Maybe you should take some practice swings, Cullen. You struck out pretty hard last time at bat."

"I struck out because the umpire is a fucking moron who doesn't know how to call."

"Eat shit, Cullen," Jasper said, lifting his mask. "My calls were legit. Don't get pissy because you can't get a hit against Bella."

"Can we please play?" Emmett shouted from the outfield. "I got a date with Rose in an hour."

I hunched forward as I waited for the right signal from my catcher. Nodding, I straightened my back and squared my shoulders. Cullen would be expecting a windup, not a curve.

I watched in horror as Cullen's bat cracked with the force of the hit. I felt paralyzed as the ball zoomed right towards me. I got my wits about me too late. I twisted in an attempt to avoided getting hit in the face. Instead, I got pegged on my side. Was it possible to hear ribs crack? Because I could have sworn I heard my ribs crack.

"Bella!" Edward yelled as I writhed and howled on the ground, each movement intensifying the pain. "Sweetie, don't move," I heard Edward instruct, but it was easier said than done. "I'm going to take you to the hospital."

"Edward," I gritted through clenched teeth and dirty tears.

"I'm so sorry." His apology was strangled and choked. He picked me up gently, but the jostling was enough to cause excruciating pain. He was fighting the urge not to run, but failing miserably.

"Emmett, your jeep has the most room in the back."

"Already on my way."

"Guys," Jasper started. That's me – one of the guys. "This girl is really important to me so please be nice."

I watched in amusement, while I stuffed my face with fries, as Jasper paced back and forth.

"When are we ever mean to any of your girlfriends?" I asked as I stole a bite of Edward's burger.

"What the hell, Swan?" Edward grabbed the burger as I went for another bite. "You already inhaled yours."

" _That's_ what I'm talking about," Jasper interrupted. "Can you all _pretend_ to have manners?"

"We have manners," Emmett commented as he let out a huge burp. If looks could kill.

"Alright, alright," I said. "Jasper, if she's important to you, then she's important to us. It's about time we met the girl you keep ditching us for," I joked.

"I didn't mean to ditch you guys. Introducing her is the equivalent of meeting the family so I had to make sure that I wanted to take it that far with her," he explained. Was I the only one touched by that sentiment? Probably.

"So when can we meet the babe?" Emmett asked with a gleam in his eye.

"Her name is Alice," Jasper said sternly. "Not babe, not hot stuff, not baby cakes. Alice, understand?"

"Understand what?" this small thing of a girl asked.

Edward was chuckling to the side of me and I hide my face in his collar to avoid laughing in Jasper's face. He was horrified at being caught and his face said it all.

"Nothing." He placed a quick kiss on her lips. "Alice these are my best friends. That's Emmett, and that's Bella and Edward. Guys, this is Alice."

Alice was a nice girl – very different from myself. Where I could be crude and sarcastic, she was polite and sweet. Sports played an intricate part in my life and it was nowhere on her radar.

"Shit," Jasper hissed, looking down at his watch. "Guys, we got practice in like ten minute."

"It's cool." Emmett never worried about anything. "Everyone's always late, anyway. We probably still have another twenty minutes before everyone gets there."

"Go, please," I begged. "Leave Alice here so I can tell her all of Jasper's embarrassing stories from his youth." I smiled wide and proud at Jasper's expression.

It took a lot of convincing to finally get Jasper to leave Alice with me. I had to picky promise to not spill any deep dark secrets he had hidden in his closet.

"You four are really close, huh?" she commented when we were finally alone.

"Yup. Grew up together. Edward, Jasper, and I are all next door neighbors and Emmett is Edward's cousin. From mud pies to mudslides, all of us," I told her with pride.

"That's really awesome; that you all stayed best friends all these years. How long have you and Edward been going out?" I coughed on the soda that he had left me.

"What? We're not dating," I denied, but couldn't look her in the eyes.

"Huh. Really?" She gazed at me studiously. "Well, then how long have you been in love with him?" she asked instead. "I'm assuming he isn't aware."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I crossed my arms, uncomfortable with where this topic was leading.

"I'm very good at reading people, Bella," she insisted.

"You're wrong this time, Alice."

"Maybe, but I doubt it. I've never had any male friends who let me rest my hand on their thigh and play with their fingers," she pointed out.

"What are you talking about? Who was doing that?"

"You were!" She yelled incredulously. "Did you not even realize that you were doing it?"

"No, because I didn't do anything of the sort."

She held her hands up in surrender. "Okay. If you say so, but if you ask me, it says a lot that Edward sat there and let you _not_ rest your hand on his thigh."

Alice was nuts and, moreover, she couldn't have been any more on point.

"Hey, Bella. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Edward asked nervously. I was immediately put on edge since a nervous Edward was very rare.

"Yeah. What's up?" I asked as I closed up my textbook.

"I…need your help with something." He couldn't look me in the eyes, opting to pick at an invisible mark on the table.

"You're freaking me out, Cullen. What is it?"

He took a deep breath. "I met someone."

I didn't think it possible for three words to have my small world crumbling, but that's exactly what it felt like. But Edward was my best friend who had no idea how I felt about him and it was my job to help him whenever I could.

I plastered on my best fake smile. "Oh, yeah? Do I know her?"

"No. I met her…online," he mumbled out. I waited for Edward to say he was joking, but nothing followed his horrible joke. "Don't give me that look," he continued defensively. "It's a completely legitimate way to meet people these days."

"No! No, no. I'm not judging you." I was quick to defend myself. "I'm just surprised. I never, in _all_ the years I've known you, would have taken you for someone to hook up with someone online." I guess I wasn't subtle in my disbelief.

"There are so many things wrong in that statement. This is the first time I've ever done this, so don't make it seem like it's a habit. Second, I haven't "hooked up" with anyone. Um…actually…" I waited and watched, his face turning red with a bashful blush. "I haven't technically met her yet."

"Huh," I breathed out. "Do you even know what she looks like?"

"We've…video chatted a few times."

"Okay. So what does this girl look like?" It wasn't the most important quality in a person, but it was a good place to start.

"Long brown hair, milk chocolate color eyes…very nice skin. Her lips!" he groaned. "She has great lips – full and pouty. She's about five foot seven or eight. Great hips – really curvy."

"So she looks like me?" I asked sarcastically.

He looked at me with scrutinizing eyes. His apparent appraisal seemed to last a life time. "Yeah, I guess you're right. That's funny."

If this girl looked like me, why couldn't he just go out with me? What was so special about _her_?

"Hilarious," I deadpanned. "What, exactly, do you need from me, anyway?"

"I need you to help me plan a date." He was sincere – seriously asking for my advice – and it was like a punch in the gut.

"I don't do romance, Cullen," I replied snidely and began walking away.

"That's not what I'm asking for, Bella." He jogged behind me until finally catching up. "What would be _your_ ideal date? I need ideas."

I huffed in agitation – because of the situation with the mystery girl and the fact that she got to him before I could.

"When was the last time you saw me go on a date, Edward? I don't even know much about what qualifies as a good date. I'm a Netflix and chill kind of person." I threw my hands in the air when Edward smirked. "Take me to the basketball court and I'm happy." I took an unnecessary step closer to Edward. "I don't need to be wined and dined to be happy and if that's what this girl is after, then you should reconsider the whole thing."

"Bella, please," he pleaded, all playfulness gone. "She's really important to me."

"How can someone you've never met be so important?" I knew it was the age of the internet and it was more probable that people met online than in a bar, but I just didn't _get_ it. How could getting to know someone behind a keyboard be better than getting to know them in person? You couldn't see how green someone's eyes were behind a computer screen, or how their cheeks flushed when encroaching upon an uncomfortable topic of conversation. Or even better, how angry they got when they lost at anything even remotely competitive.

"I can't…I can't explain it, Bella. It just is. Please. I really need your help."

God, he was serious! He wanted my help to date a girl that wasn't me. What was worse was that, as his best friend, I was going to help him. Why couldn't there be some kind of best friend code for this; a way to decline without outing myself, letting him down, or making me look like a complete asshole for not helping him?

"Just this once, Cullen." I pointed my finger in his face. "Don't ask me to do this again."

"Oh, thank you so much, Bella." He scooped me up in a tight hug, lifting me off the ground. My arms instantly wrapped around his neck and my face snuggled into the crook of his neck. Why couldn't the idea of going out with me make him this happy?

As it turned out, helping Cullen simply meant him bouncing idea off of me and making my own suggestions. It was easy to pretend that he was planning a date for us. If I told him that I wasn't fond of an idea, it was as if _I_ didn't want to go there or do that. As long as Edward didn't mention her name, I was okay.

"So," I said plopping down at the only empty sit at the table. Lately, Rose and Alice had begun hanging around the guys and me more often. "I have a date," I told the table. Jasper, Alice, and Rose shared a look while Edward seemed to choke on nothing.

"Cool. With who?" Emmett asked, picking at his chicken bones.

"Riley Biers."

"Is that the cute one on the lacrosse team?" Rose asked, earning a side eye from Emmett.

"Yup."

"He's a douche," Edward spit.

"What?" I turned to look at him. "I thought you liked him? I've seen you talk to him before. He's a nice guy."

He easily ignored what I said. "Besides, I thought you said that you don't date."

"I never said that," I replied defensively. "I said I don't like the whole romantic thing. That's different."

I saw him roll his eyes. "So what made you decide to go out with him anyway?" He was trying to go for nonchalance, but I could hear the annoyance in his voice.

"Well, he's asked me out in the past, but I always found some reason to decline." Holding out hope for Edward. "There's really no reason to anymore. Everyone has someone but me, and I'm not going to be the third wheel."

"You're going out with him because you don't want to be a third wheel? So…essentially, you're settling."

I shrugged, unwilling to be ruffled or offended by his comment. Because at the end of it, settling was exactly what I was doing. "Welp, we all can't meet the love of our life on Tinder." I rolled _my_ eyes this time.

" _I_ think it's great, Bella," Alice cut in, trying to alleviate the tension that was quickly growing between Edward and me. "Did he say where he's taking you?"

"He did. Rock climbing." I was actually quite excited for the date. Riley seemed to get me. Maybe I should have been paying more attention to him instead of focusing on my best friend and most heated competitor. _Edward_ was oblivious, where Riley seemed to know. Maybe Riley was what I needed.

"Pfft," Edward huffed. "Rock climbing?" he deadpanned. "Who takes someone rock climbing on a date?"

Now that? That comment? That comment hurt. I was extremely excited to go rock climbing. It was something that I had never done, but always wanted to try. It felt like Edward was saying there was something wrong with me for looking forward to it. What it all boiled down to was that I was subpar – not girlfriend material, not a normal girl.

"I have to go." I gathered my few belongings. "I have an exam," I said around the lump in my throat.

"Bella." Edward called as I stood to leave. I could see the trouble in his eyes, probably realizing that he struck a chord. "I didn't mean it like that."

I shook my head. "It's nothing." I swallowed hard. "I have an exam. Bye, guys."

"Good one, dickhead," I heard Jasper say as I walked away.

" _I didn't mean it like that."_

"So…uh…how was your date?" Edward asked as he tightened his laces. I stretched my limbs and tried to wake myself up. I was up way too late finishing a paper I thought I still had two weeks to complete. It lit a fire under my ass when I found out it was due in three days.

"Didn't go," I responded as I started running in place. "He cancelled on me." I couldn't tell Edward that I was actually relieved when he called to cancel. I still wanted to go, despite Edward's indirect insult of the idea, but I had the stupid paper to finish. I was going back and forth, trying to decide if I should reschedule or not. If I hadn't turned him down all the other times, I wouldn't have had an issue with calling him and taking a rain check. Riley calling and saying he had a family matter that he had to tend to was such a relief. We never did reschedule our date.

"Oh. Well…that's too bad." I could hear the smile in his response, which only served to piss me off.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I snapped.

"Nothing." He was smart enough to wipe the smile off his face. "I just said it was too bad."

"It was the _way_ you said it," I amended. "Why did you sound so happy about it? Is there something I should know? Is it a bad thing that I finally started dating?" I didn't allow him to respond. "Why is it that other people get to be happy, but not me?"

"Bella. What?" He's flabbergasted and clearly caught off guard. "What are you talking about?"

What the hell _was_ I talking about? I was slowly, but surely, going fucking crazy. I was being a hypocritical asshole to Edward for no reason. I was concerned about his _lacking_ concern about my happiness, yet when he came to me for advice, I refused to support him because it wasn't with me. Since when should happiness be conditional?

"Nothing. It's nothing. You ready?" I began a slow jog without him.

We ran silently side by side for a mile. For the first time, it was uncomfortable and not at all relaxing. It was my fault, though. I created this unnecessary unease with my own misery.

"So did you finalize your date plans?" I asked after another quarter mile. "It's in like two days, right?" Not that I was at all interested, but I needed to show Edward that we were okay.

"For the most part, I guess." That was it. No further explanation. He wasn't winded or steadying his breathing - just not in the mood to talk to me.

It was the longest seven miles we've ever ran. I never thought I would be glad to separate myself from Edward. For his part, he couldn't get away from me fast enough, either.

"Where the hell is that thing?" I muttered to myself. I was on my knees with my ass in the air as I searched the contents under by bathroom sink. "There you are." I snatched my hidden makeup bag that was pathetically empty enough to securely hide under a bag of cotton balls. Honestly, I don't even know why I wasted the money on buying the fancy pencil case in the first place.

I had a bottle of foundation that was only bought to cover up the bruise I got when Jasper accidently socked me in the jaw when we were horsing around. Jasper was distraught that he hit me, Edward was pissed, and Emmett was proud that I took it like a champ – even managed to stay conscious.

There was also mascara and lip gloss. How I came in possession of those, I have no idea. My mother, maybe? Could have been the Holy Ghost for all I knew. Luckily for me, though, was that I actually knew how to apply these things. Even the foundation. Look at me go!

I didn't need anyone to teach me how to be a girl. I didn't need Rosalie or Alice to show me the right way to flirt, how to bat my lashes, or flip my hair to keep a guy's attention. I could do all those things on my own.

I jumped in the shower to scrub my face and wash my hair. After getting out, I applied lotion every-damn-where because that's what girls were supposed to do. Soft, kissable skin. That was the aim, right?

I stared in the mirror at my reflection. I had a clean and clear complexion, so I had that going for me. I thought back to all the YouTube tutorials on how to apply foundation properly. Incorporating bits and pieces from each video, I developed my own method. I didn't even bother buying a foundation brush; my fingers worked just fine.

I was pleased with the end result. No foundation lines in sight!

Applying mascara was always a little frightening to me. It took numerous tries and a few poked eyes before I figured out how to coat my lashes without scratching a cornea. Too bad I never continued my makeup education after that.

The lip gloss was pretty simple. I wasn't that much of an idiot.

My final look wasn't super model gorgeous or over the top perfection, but there was a difference. Was it actually worth the time and effort? The jury was still out on that.

I let my hair dry naturally – it always looked best that way – while I searched my messy closet for a skirt I knew I had gotten from my mother. I didn't think I threw it away.

"Aha!" I grabbed it off the hanger from way back in the closet, where dust mites and spiders went to die. I sniffed to make sure that it didn't smell old and musty. It was good to go. It was a denim skirt and I had no idea if it was still considered fashionable. There was no fancy blouse in sight so I paired the skirt with a Henley.

Not too bad if I did say so myself.

I was looking the most girlified I had looked since about seven years old and I had no one to critique my look.

I sat around the house, testing out the feel of the look. I had to constantly fight the urge to rub my eyes and face. _That_ was annoying. There was also a draft the caressed my thigh and butt cheek. I was on the fence about enjoying that. At times it felt that it was _someone_ caressing me. It was kind of weird, but kind of satisfying.

Getting bored with nothing to do, I headed out to the grocery store. Tacos for dinner were sounding better and better the more I thought about it. I amped myself up to walk out that door looking like I did. It wasn't like I was dressed in clown makeup, but as different as I felt I could have been.

Thankfully, the grocery store wasn't as busy as I had anticipated. I grabbed a basket, making quick work of the aisles I needed. The looks I received from various males didn't go unnoticed. I offered polite smiles, but didn't linger.

"Bella?" I stiffened in my spot while trying to locate my favorite brand of refried beans. In my peripheral vision, I could see Edward standing to the side of me.

"Hey, Edward." I greeted him awkwardly. I hadn't seen or spoken to him in two days and we didn't part on the greatest terms.

His stare was assessing, questioning, and maybe a little judgmental.

"What's with…" He motioned his hand in my direction. "You look…different."

"Different good or different bad?" I tried to pull it out of him while pulling on my skirt.

"Um…just different."

"Thanks," I replied sarcastically. I knew him will enough that he meant different bad. "So what are you doing here, anyway?" I looked in his basket to see a bag of potatoes and nothing else.

He stared a little longer before snapping out of it and answering. "My, uh…" He furrowed his brows, "date is tomorrow. I'm going to cook."

Oh. Yeah. His date. Awesome.

"What are you making?"

"Mashed potatoes," he answered quickly. I couldn't help cringing. I hated mashed potatoes. "So is this, like, going to be a new look?" he asked, rubbing his forehead. Did I really look that bad? Or was he just uncomfortable with me actually looking pretty?

"I haven't decided yet. I'm still testing it out."

"Testing it out," he murmured. "I gotta go. I'll give you a call." He walked away before I could even respond.

I needed to get home and scrub this shit off my face and put some sweats on.

As I reached for my ringing phone, I couldn't help but wish it was Edward on the other end to tell me that he cancelled his date with his online girlfriend.

My heart skyrocketed to my throat when I saw Edward's dopey smile illuminated my phone screen. He demanded that I erase the picture, so of course I had to assign it to his number. I wasn't very fond of being told what to do.

"Hey, Cullen. What's up?" Things were still a little weird between us for some known, and unknown, reasons. I was willing to let things go and move one. After all, most of it was caused by my own jealousy and insecurities. Edward really was practically innocent in all this.

"Nothing much. Wanna hit the court?"

Prematurely, hope flourished and spread like a raging forest fire. "Isn't your date today?"

"It's later today, yeah. I have a lot of time to kill and nervous energy to work off," he explained.

The indignant part of me wanted to scoff and ask if that's all I was to him – someone to just pass the time with.

But I knew that wasn't true. I was his best friend; the person who knew him best. It was always me who talked him off the ledge when everything seemed to be going south. He was coming to me – needing his best friend.

"Sure," I sighed. "Give me a few minutes to change and I'll walk over to your place."

I heard his relieved sigh on the other end. "Thanks, Bella."

As I changed into my basketball shorts and tank top I couldn't help but laugh at myself and this ridiculous situation. I was completely and utterly friend-zoned. This is what it felt like. It sucked! But I could be the best friend Edward needed.

We walked to the park in silence, but there was no tension hanging over us like a domineering storm cloud. It was companionable and easy.

"Excited for your date?" I finally asked. I didn't plan on asking since every time it was brought up my heart seemed to squeeze tighter in my chest, but a friend would ask. A good friend would want to know and provide any support that was needed.

"I am." His dazzling smile was…dazzling. My heart broke just a little bit.

"Cool." I faked my best smile.

"So um…I've been meaning to ask – and don't take this the wrong way." He glanced over and I nodded for him to go on. "What was with the makeup and skirt yesterday? That wasn't very…you."

I shrugged. "Thought I'd try something new. I thought I looked okay."

He stopped mid-step. "You looked…nice, but that's not that I meant." Was I blushing? I couldn't remember the last time that I blushed. "It just seemed out of the blue." We continued to walk. "Is that going to be a new thing for you?" he asked hesitantly.

I shook my head. "No. I didn't feel like _me_ with that stuff on. It felt like every time I got a look or a smile it wasn't intended for me, Bella. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I get it." When he began dribbling the ball as we entered the park I thought it was the end of that particular conversation. I was wrong. I was about to suggest playing _Around the World_ when he began speaking again. "You don't need that stuff, you know. The makeup and short skirts."

I shrugged again. "Just testing the waters, I guess. See if I could pull it off if need be."

"When would there be a need?" he asked, obviously confused. It wasn't something I really wanted to get into, but he deserved to know where I was at in life - my love life in particularly.

"Now in days, girls aren't supposed to admit that they do things to get a guys attention, and for the most part, I agree. What's wrong with admitting that you _want_ the attention, though? Guys don't look at me as girlfriend material. I'm one of the guys and I'm fine with that, but that's not _all_ I am. I want to be told I'm pretty and that my hair smells good and that my body is soft. I'm not going to get that if all they see me doing is trying to throw a touchdown pass or slide home." I grabbed the basketball away from Edward. I was feeling very exposed, and while a ball wouldn't do much to help, it was a distraction. "Let's just play."

We played three one-on-one games. It could have all been in my mind – wishing thinking – but it was as if Edward was finding subtle and seemingly innocent ways to touch me. It wasn't always like this; I would have remembered. This was definitely new.

The day came to an end when I rolled my ankle coming down catching a rebound. I had to convince Edward that I was okay to walk. It could have been a lot worse. I've _had_ a lot worse.

The walk back was filled with side glances and questions of concern. It was touching.

"Listen, good luck with your date tonight," I told him when I reached my porch. "Let me know if you need anything. If she turns out to be a hag, text me and I'll find a way to bail you out," I joked.

He laughed but shook his head. "Nah, she's not a hag. She's amazing."

I stared at him with a shaky smile, willing myself not to cry. I had to remember my place as his friend.

"Cool." I had to turn my back before he caught the errant tear. I could have just blamed it on a swollen ankle. "Later, Cullen."

"Bella, can you come over for a minute?" Edward asked three hours later. I was hanging in bed doing nothing in particular.

"Now?" I asked incredulously. "Isn't your girl there?" I hated that he even _had_ a girl.

"Not yet," he replied frantically, "but soon. I need helping picking out what to wear."

I wish he was in front of me so he could have seen the heavy eye roll. "Seriously? You're getting yourself worked up over clothes? Who gives a shit what you wear?"

"C'mon, please. It's important. I need your honest opinion," he pleaded.

"Fine," I groaned. "I'll be there in five."

I had to remember I was Edward's friend. I had to remember that I shouldn't tell him how stupid it was for him to be so concerned over clothes.

"Edward?" I hollered as I walked through his door. I sniffed the air to smell whatever he had cooking. Something smelled familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Upstairs," he yelled from above.

Edward in a towel was something that I had seen plenty of times – and plenty of times it rendered me stupid.

But I was his friend and friends don't drool over each other.

"Show me what you're leaning towards," I commanded as I threw myself on his bed. I always thought his was more comfortable than mine. He thought the opposite.

"Well, I bought a new outfit when I went out with Alice and Jasper. I need an honest opinion. Give me a minute to change."

"Edward," I sighed. "You're a good looking guy. You could wear a burlap sack and make it look good."

There was that smile that I loved so much. "Thanks, B. Really, though. Tell me what you think." He disappeared into his walk-in closet for a few minutes before reappearing.

"Is that Calvin Klein?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, surprised that I actually knew. "So?"

"I still don't understand why you care what I think. Alice is knowledgeable in all things fashion. I don't think she'd steer you wrong."

"Because you'd give me your honest opinion. If I looked like a dick, you'd tell me I looked like a dick. So…do I look like a dick?"

I gave him a thorough observation. His button down shirt was a crisp, clean sage green that made his eyes look like the perfect accessory for his outfit. His black slacks looked custom tailored, though I knew it was off the rack. But apparently, Mr. Klein made them with Edward in mind. Edward was, in every sense of the word, gorgeous. From the top of his perfectly tussled hair to the heel of his Italian loafer was sheer perfection.

"Edward," I sighed again. "Honestly, you look good. She'll be impressed," I assured him.

"Would you be impressed?" he asked shyly, nervously.

Why did it even matter?

"I guess." I shrugged. "But you don't need to impress me and even if you did, labels don't do it for me."

He looked at me strangely before nodding. "Gotcha. Gimmie a minute to change."

"Why?" I yelled toward the closet. "I thought she was going to be here soon."

He didn't respond, but instead emerged a minute later wearing jeans and an old high school t-shirt and bare feet. That was the Edward that I adored. That I knew.

"Better?" he joked.

"Much." I was serious." I hopped off the bed. "I should get going. It would be awkward if I was still here when she gets here."

"Yeah, okay. I'll walk you out." We reached the bottom of the stairs. "One quick question before you go. Jasper and I were having an argument – don't ask me why – but he said that hot dogs were you're favorite food. I said sloppy joes. Who's right?"

"What?" I laughed. "It's sloppy joes," I confirmed. "If that's what you guys talk about then I'm seriously worried about all the money you're wasting on a college education."

"Har har." He rolled his eyes. "One more thing."

"Shoot."

"If I asked you out on a date, would you have accepted?" he asked seriously, taking a step closer.

What? I wanted to call him out for being stupid and for not realizing the heaviness of such a loaded question.

"Funny, Cullen," I deadpanned. "I'm gonna go."

"No," he replied seriously grabbing a hold of my wrist. "If I asked you out, would you say yes?" The look in his eyes told me he wasn't joking.

"Why does it even matter?" I asked angrily, yanking my wrist out of his grasp. "You have a girlfriend."

"Bella," he breathed. He was inches in front of me; my face was in his hands. "If I asked you out, would you say yes?" he asked slowly – almost a whisper.

"Yes," I finally answered as I fought to control my emotions and tears.

In a motion too quick for human eyes, his lips were on mine. A light pressure turned heavy, turned desperate. In return, I was grasping on to the moment, the feeling of his smooth, full lips. When he pulled away, I wanted to protest but knew that I had no right.

He kissed me in a moment of weakness. A moment of fear and confusion.

"I have to tell you something," he whispered. "There is no internet girl." I pushed back to look at him fully on. "I described her like you because she _is_ you."

"What?" I cried.

"I was hoping you'd catch on; call me on my bullshit. Why didn't you?" he asked sadly.

"Be…because, it didn't make sense for you to like me. It doesn't make sense now."

"It makes perfect sense, Bella," he countered, holding my face tenderly. "You're my best friend and the most generous person I know. You don't take my shit and you give as good as you get. You're…perfect."

I scoffed and pulled away. "I'm perfect because I play sports and take a joke as good as the next guy. Thanks, Edward." I threw my hands up and interlocked my fingers on top of my head. I felt a headache of epic proportions coming on.

"Do you want me to tell you that you're pretty?" His voice was coated with irritation. When he said it, it sounded dumb and I felt dumb for wanting such petty validation. "The makeup and skirt," he scoffed. "You're not going to get that from me."

It was if I had been slapped. What did I really expect to happen? Edward to compare me to a supermodel?

"I know," I whispered. I turned to leave. Again, Edward grasped my wrist before I could get to the door.

"The makeup and skirt was nice," he began softly, "but not necessary. You don't need it, Bella. You're not pretty because you're breathtaking." He leaned in and kissed me gently. "You're a great competitor, but you're so much more than that. And," he hesitated, "I want to be more with you."

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I allowed myself to cry into his shirt. Never had I thought I could be so happy. Things like this – almost like a fairy tale – didn't happen to me. I was the princess' friend who was forgotten as the story progressed and she found her prince. I was girl that guys felt no qualms about giving noogies. I was the good buddy.

"Ask me again," I asked, my breath wafted over the soft skin of his neck.

"Will you go out with me, Bella?"

"Yes."

He hugged me tight and whispered in my ear. "I have a surprise for you." I pulled back and looked at him quizzically. "I made sloppy joes for you," he chuckled.

I pulled him by his collar and as his mouth found mine again I finally knew what it felt like to be out of the friend zone.

 **AN** **:** **Deonne, I hope you enjoyed this little story!**

 **If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group:** **Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps, or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox.**

community/FAGE-8-Soul-Mates /93625/


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